COLUMBIA, S.C. — NOTE: The COMET public transportation meeting scheduled for Monday, May 23, has been rescheduled due to the forecast of inclement weather during the afternoon. The townhall style meeting seeking input on transportation services in the Lower Richland area is now scheduled for Monday, June 20 at the Adult Activity Center on 8620 Garner’s Ferry Road in Hopkins, SC.
The Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority (The COMET) wants to hear from lower Richland residents about service in their area.
"Do you want more routes in this area? Are you familiar with Reflex routes and how that works? We’re looking at amenities," said Pamela Bynoe-Reed, Public Information Officer for The COMET.
Bynoe-Reed says some people in Lower Richland and other rural communities don't know about some services that are available to them.
"A lot of times, rural communities feel like they're overlooked and that they're forgotten about," Bynoe-Reed said. "We just want them to know we did not forget about you, and we're not overlooking you, and we really want to hear what services that you need that we can provide to you in the lower Richland community."
While Lower Richland has less than five COMET bus routes, Bynoe-Reed a service many don't know about is the 'Reflex' program.
"What that means is that you make a phone call an hour before you need to leave the bus stop, and the bus will meet you at that stop, so it's a flexible schedule," Bynoe-Reed said.
There are two opportunities for Lower Richland residents to provide feedback to The COMET.
Residents can complete a survey to collect riders' thoughts on what is needed in the Lower Richland area.
On Monday, May 23, The COMET is holding a public meeting to hear from residents.
The meeting will be held from 6 - 8 p.m. on May 23 at the Garners Ferry Adult Activity Center, 8620 Garners Ferry Rd.
Currently, the Lower Richland community is served by COMET bus routes 44X, 45, 47, and 61 covering Gadsden, Hopkins, Eastover, and an express service to Sumter.
"Part of it is education, part of it is really listening to see how The COMET can be more integrated into people's everyday lives," Bynoe-Reed said.
Landon Harrison lives in Lower Richland. He said he's pleased to have residents' voices heard.
"Say you need to go to the gym or something and you can’t. Maybe you need to get back to school, you're a college student - public transportation can be important about that," Harrison said. "It’s just a lot of ways that public transportation is important in this area for people. There’s a lot of people who may not have regular cars or any way to get where they need to go."
To learn more about the meeting, CLICK HERE.